up which was Master Maurice, waving his hat
wildly in a great state of excitement, and the master as it were of the
situation.

"There they are!" said he pointing to where the water was lashed up and
broken into foam, about half a mile ahead of the ship, amidst which a
couple of dark bodies could be seen tumbling about--one occasionally
jumping up high in the air and coming down on the other with a thud, and
a smack that sounded like the crack of a whip, or report of a rifle.
"There they are, Miss Meldrum, I saw them first!"

"Come down out of that, sir, at once!" screamed out his mother, with a
pant and a puff between each word, her breath having been almost taken
away by her unusually quick movements in getting forwards. "Have I not
ordered you never to go up those ropes?"

"Oh, bother, ma!" exclaimed the young hopeful, paying not the slightest
attention to his mother's command. He had been so spoilt, petted at one
time and scolded another, that all her authority over him was lost save
in name. "There! bravo, little one--oh, my, wasn't that a good one,
now?"

And so, Mrs Major Negus--abandoning any expectation of making Maurice
descend from his perch in the shrouds, where, however, she could see
that he was in no imminent danger, for he had one of the sailors on
either side of him who would catch him should he slip--was obliged
perforce to do as all the rest were doing and gaze at the thrilling
marine drama that was being acted out with such tragic earnestness on
the surface of the deep before their eyes.

A black-fish--which, it may be mentioned here, for the benefit of the
uninitiated, is a species of cachalot, although differing from the true
spermaceti family of whales in having the spout-holes placed on the top
of the head, in place of on the snout, and the pectoral fins shorter--
was being assailed by its bitter enemy the thresher or "fox shark."
This latter is one of the most peculiar fishes to be seen throughout the
length and breadth of the ocean, that world of living wonders; for it
has a most extraordinary face, or head, which is more like that of an
ape than of one of the piscine tribe; while its tail is divided into two
lobes or blades, one of which is small and insignificant, and the other
larger than the body of the animal, curling up at the end like the tail-
feather of a bird of paradise.

There could be no comparison between the two combatants, in respect to
size at least; for, while the w